The Beach Boys and Chicago with all original members (except Brian Wilson) in 1975 (photo by Tim Coulter)
WHY DID I CREATE THIS BLOG?
I got a phone call one day from a friend of mine. She was considering going to a big summer concert with three bands that had their heydays in the 1970s. She'd always loved one of the bands, and probably owned all of their 8-tracks. But before she bought tickets she wanted to know if they still had their original singer. I told her no. That sealed it for her - she wasn't going.
Another friend of mine emailed me. His daughter had been listening to some of his "old" music, and really loved a certain band. Since it was also one of his favorites, they were making plans for a road trip - about eight hours - so that she could see them in person. He said, "They've still got most of the original guys, right?" I said no. In fact, there were none of the original guys in the current touring version of the band.
I understand that a lot of people don't care if the original members are still with the group. People flock to Beach Boys' concerts. Do they know that's only one of the original five guys up there on stage? Do they care? Some people do, and some don't. Probably 90% of the people leaving a Beach Boys' show would tell you they had a great time, and that the music was great. Others are probably scratching their heads and trying to figure out how someone that looks likes he's forty could be in a band that got started in the early 60s. And, of course, a lot of Beach Boys fans are aware that 4/5 of the original group are no longer there and passed completely on the concert.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
If you came to this site, you're obviously someone that cares who's in the band. I'll do my best to have the most current information about a touring band's current line-up, and compare it to the original line-up. If I've seen the band in concert, I'll let you know if they're worth spending your money on. And let's face it, many of the groups, especially from the 50s and 60s, have members who have passed away, or no longer have the ability to play.
Classic rock history has had many groups, usually because a manager ended up owning the rights to the band name, that were touring with absolutely a new line-up, put together just for that particular tour, with no relationship at all to the band. In the early 70s, while Fleetwood Mac was taking a break before deciding to add Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, their ex-manager sent a bogus group out on the road. I also remember reading that, at one time, there were three or four groups touring at the same time under the moniker "The Drifters." Apparently a manager who owned the name figured out an easy way to triple or quadruple his income.
But now there's the Internet. People can research and see who's currently in a band. But if you go to a group's website, they rarely post, "Featuring One Original Member!" Some do pay homage to their past members, others just don't bother saying who's original, and hope you don't dig any deeper. And since there was never room on an 8-track label to list the band members, it's likely you don't remember their names. (Also, it was the 60s - you might not remember much, other than the music itself.)
PLEASE JOIN IN
If you want to know about a particular group, feel free to make a request in the comments, or to email me. If you've recently seen one of the bands featured here, let people know how the concert was. If you don't agree with my opinion, you're welcome to add your thoughts in the comments, also. Just keep it clean, and no haters. And there's no need to point out that you think the music from your youth is "real music" and everything being released now is crap. Save those comments for YouTube, where they belong.
Oh, and if you're a member of an oldies or classic rock band, and you're going to be playing near Kansas City…sure, I'd be happy to have a couple of free tickets to check you out. But I'll still post an honest review.
Tim Coulter
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